In My Defense
by astarte-lydianna
Summary: When Bruce tries to evict Darcy from his lab things don't go to plan. One Shot


"Out."

That one word made her freeze on the spot. Darcy glanced up at the normally calm and polite, sometimes even shy scientist. He was none of those things right now. He was tensed all over, his hands fisting by his sides, his face pinched.

"Care to tell me what I did that is getting me kicked out of the lab?" She asked carefully, trying not to sound as hurt or offended as she actually felt. She was fairly sure that she hadn't done anything different today that could have made him angry with her. Maybe he was just worried about a code green for some other reason and wanted her out of the way...but something about this situation seemed like it was just her. She looked around her at the other people in the lab and decided that yes, he was talking to just her.

"No, just leave." He replied.

"Excuse me?" She blinked. "So you're not banning anyone else from the lab, just me and you're not going to give me a reason?! I don't think so Doc, that is not going to fly! You don't technically employ me, Stark Industries does, so I'm pretty sure you can't just fire me without cause."

"I'm going to go get lunch." Erik announced suddenly, slipping from the lab as quickly and quietly as possible.

"I don't need your assistance." Bruce told her.

"Pfft yeah right! Who else can read that handwriting of yours? Who else manages to distract Tony from harassing you when you're in the middle of a really important breakthrough? Try again." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and refused to move. "Seriously, if you can't give me a bloody good reason for kicking me out, I'm not leaving."

Bruce cringed internally at what he was about to do, he hated the thought of upsetting the poor girl who had done nothing but treat him like an actual person. She didn't avoid him, she treated him like any other human being rather than one that exploded into a green monster twice her size and she had become a friend. He told himself it was for her own good, better to push her away now before he got too attached to her. Waiting until later might put her in danger from not just the other guy but also his enemies and she didn't deserve that.

"I can't work with you here. You drive me nuts." He barked out, taking a deep breath he continued. "With your lip biting and your dancing around and your pressing up against me! How much control do you think I have?!"

It was only when his words were met with silence rather than shouting back, that he realised that what he had meant to say and what he actually said were two very different things.

"That wasn't what I meant to say." He said weakly.

"Yeah...I kinda got that from that gaping thing you're doing." She replied, nodding slightly. By some miracle she didn't look angry...then again looks could be deceiving when it came to women. "Was what you meant to say better or worse?"

"Um..."

"If you're confused then we're pretty screwed because I am totally confused." She huffed. It was the pouting lip that did it. Deciding that he'd already made a fool of himself he threw the self control out of the window and lunged forward.

A small squeak of surprise escaped Darcy's mouth, as her back hit the desk, before any sounds she could make were muffled by the lips attached to hers. Strange tingling feelings swooped around in her stomach at the feel of the body pressed tightly against hers. It was only when he pulled away that she even realised that she had been kissing him back and that her hands were gripping his lab coat. She glanced at her hands in surprise, before looking up at the dark eyes focused on her.

"Are you less confused yet?" She asked quietly. "Because I'm not."

"Not really." He chuckled, his hand still lingering distractingly on her hips.

"So...are you still mad at me for some reason or not?"

"I'm not mad at you Darcy, just...frustrated." He sighed. "People avoid me, you don't. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this or make things awkward for you. You just...make it very hard not to want you."

"Well that's a stupid thing to be sorry for." She snorted. "If you like someone generally you ask them out not yell at them like a crazy person, confuse the hell out of them, then apologise."

"I'm-"

"If you say I'm sorry, I will hit you." She deadpanned.

"Right..." He backed away from her, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"So you were trying to kick me out of the lab because you like me?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"That sounds way more stupid the way you say it." He said defensively. "In my defense-"

"Hey, you're a genius scientist that apparently can't kick someone out without hitting on them, which let me assure you is not how kicking out if employees usually goes, you don't get a defense!" She cut him off. "I'm going to assume there was some kind of doing the right thing decision making going on that caused you to think that the right reaction to liking someone is to try and fire them because clearly torturing yourself is your M.O. So, here in non-scientist, non-self suffering, guilt ridden, hero complex land...shall I show you how things work?"

"Work?" He blinked in confusion.

"Hey Bruce, I think you're hot and I've just realised we might actually have crazy off the charts chemistry, want to go get lunch with me?" She asked.

"Lunch?" He swallowed. "I turn into a rage monster."

"I know, I've seen it. Next?" She rolled her eyes.

"I'm old enough to be your father." His eyes strayed, trying not to stare at her mouth.

"Only just, if you were a really really young dad." She waved off. "Seriously, if it doesn't bother me, why the hell should it bother you?"

"Darcy, when I lose control I turn into a dangerous giant green monster." He said again.

"Yes, I know that. I've seen it." She said slowly as if she were talking to a toddler. "Does that mean you physically can't have sex?"

"What?!" He spluttered.

"Can you physically have sex?" She asked even slower.

"Um...yes." He nodded.

"Great, so if you don't agree to go out with me for lunch I could just start taking clothes off right here and see how long it takes you to-"

"Lunch sounds good." He interrupted.


End file.
